Last year, the Washington state legislature approved a bill that would keep everyone on Daylight Savings Time. The governor even signed the bill. But until Congress at the federal level approves, we still have to Spring Forward and Fall Back.
This year, Daylight Savings Time ends on Nov. 1, so before you go to bed on Saturday, be sure to turn your clocks back an hour.
Since I am someone who is keeping track of my energy use, this will mean that in the coming months my lights will be on for many more hours than they have been. On the shortest day of the year, the sun sets around 4 p.m. It’s time to make sure you have changed your incandescent bulbs to LED lights to make it through these dark months with less energy use.
We’ve discussed LED lights before in this column, but it’s good to remember that they use about 80 percent less energy than the traditional incandescent bulbs. LED bulbs are also cool to the touch, reducing fire risks. They last longer, up to 10 times longer, than traditional bulbs. And they are weatherproof. They work just as well inside as they do outside. Plus, now that more and more people are using them, you can find them pretty cheap—I just found a sale online and bought 16 new bulbs for less than $10.
Lighting can be as much as 20 percent of your electricity bill. I found some great tips on Avista’s website this month, that can help me save energy.
When I bought my house, I noticed that someone had left me reminders to turn off the lights when I’m not using them, little stickers that say, “Turn it off” and “Every little bit adds up.” I’ve kept them, because there is no reason at all to have lights on in empty rooms.
Lisa, an Avista customer, bought her 1910 house because she loved the old-world character, some of which doesn’t make her house very energy efficient. Lisa is sharing her experience on taking some simple do-it-yourself improvements to inspire others to do the same. You’ll find her stories right here every Tuesday morning.